Influenza AH1N1

1. What is the most predictable thing about influenza?
the cause of the virus nature
2. How many people have died in Mexico? (based on the article as well as on latest news)
66 people have died.
3. Name 3 countries where swine flu has been confirmed in the last three days.
Malaysia, India and Turkey.
4. What are the symptoms of the swine flu?
Fiber, headache, cough, nausea and sort throat.
5. When was the outbreak of the Spanish flu?
It outbreak in 1918.
6. What percentage of the world population died of influenza then?
1 %.
7. Why was there an emergency vaccination program in 1976?
Because it was an epidemic swine flu.
8. Name a few actions the Mexican government has done to curb the spread of swine flu.
They have cancel the school, and they close cinemas, theater, night clubs, etc.
9. What were the consequences for Mexico and Mexicans due to the actions taken by the government?
The economy, the drugs violence and Mexican that has obligated to close their business.
10. What industries were particularly hard hit?
Cinemas was the most industry affected, theater, bars, night clubs, restaurants, and the tourism of Mexico.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Mexico has shut down schools and other public spaces; do you think that was the correct thing to do? Why or why not?
I think that it was the best thing to do because if the epidemic spread more, more people could die and the government has taken good preventive actions.
2. More people die from the regular flu then from swine flu, why do you think this became a big news story?
Its because the regular flu has exited forever so we are get use to it and the swine flu is a new virus that we don’t know.
3. Why did people stop visiting Mexico? Why have Mexicans been discriminated? Do you think the fear of the disease is justified?
They stop visiting Mexico because of the swine flu, the Mexican has been discriminated because of the epidemic swine flu in Mexico and the other countries doesn’t want to get infected, the fear can be justified for on side because is a new virus but for the other side it not a big deal if you take the preventive measures.
4. What questions about individual and human rights does preventing the spread of flu raise?
The right of the freedom because when Mexican go to china, the Chinese had them in cells or small room.

INITIATING QUESTIONS

1. What is an epidemic?
Is a classification of a disease that appears as new cases in a given human population, during a given period, at a rate that substantially exceeds what is "expected," based on recent experience
2. What is a pandemic?
An epidemic occurring over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting large numbers of people. A global disease epidemic.
3. What is an infectious disease?
A disease that can be transmitted from person to person or from organism to organism, and is caused by eg viruses and bacteria.
4. What is a virus?
Is a sub-microscopic infectious agent that is unable to grow or reproduce outside a host cell. Viruses infect all types of cellular life
5. What makes the H1N1 virus a "novel" or "new" virus?
That it has two genes from flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia and avian genes and human genes. Scientists call this a "quadruple reassortant" virus.
6. How do viruses mutate?
The only way a virus can reproduce is through a host cell, which it does by attaching its surface proteins to the cell's membrane and injecting its genetic material into the cell.
7. What does it mean that this virus has "parts" from other known swine flus, human flus and American bird flus?
It means that it has taken some things of those flues so it can become a stronger and deadlier flue
8. How does that process happen?
Influenza A viruses come in many different subtypes based on differences in their proteins. Each subtype can have many different strains. New subtypes and strains arise when the virus undergoes genetic mutations.
9. How is the flu vaccine created?
It was caused by an unusually virulent and deadly Influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1.
10. Why are some viruses transmittable from human to human while others are not (avian flu)?
It has to do with the surface proteins that they use to enter the cell. If the proteins can get the virus in to human cells, it will infect a human who is exposed. If they work well, then the virus will be successful enough to spread between humans.
11. How does Tamiflu work?
Tamiflu is an antiviral drug used in the treatment and prophylaxis of both Influenzavirus A and Influenzavirus B. Like zanamivr, Tamiflu is a neuraminidase inhibitor. It acts as a transition-state analogue inhibitor of influenza neuraminidase, preventing new viruses from emerging from infected cells
12. Scientists worry that H1N1 might become resistant to Tamiflu. How might that happen?
Because after you attack a virus with the same medicine, the virus might become resistant and that can happened.